The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-04-04
KISSANE'S CAREER.
AcoMpLErE STORY OF Ills CRIME,
A S'ngnlnr Case That Has Been Revived
After Years Of stlsncs-why burton
Parsaed Hlssans- Barniug a Stsaru.
boat to Got the Insurance Money.

A'h"AHo, w., Apf1l 3.-Ihe Ifddt
Will tomorrow publish another interestin
installmont Of the story OF Sidney O, Bur
toms efforts to run down William Kissane
It says: "Every detail OF this case ha
been preserved in manuscript and Is nov
In tho possession Of q daughter Of Burton
Mrs. Francis H. Bowman, OF 95 Stat,
street. The documentary evidence In
cludes the manuscript Of a book writer
by Mr.. Burton and voluminous cores
pondence with persons interested In tn,
case. A complete story OF Kiasane's ca
reer has never appeared in print In 1851
Mr.. Burton had been established for eiQt,
years as the proprietor Of leather and
wooden ware house. He conducted pros.
porous business. Among his correspon.
dents were Fiiisy & 0hapin, a leather firm
located In Cincinnati. In November 1851
Mr. Burton held their notes for s. 900 and
ne owned also 1900 sheep skins which
were stored in their warehouse. On De-.
cember ~, 1851, he visited Cincinnati and
found that the firm had made an assign.
ment. They we're Hucceeded by LYMAN
Coie, g man who WAS subsequently arrest.
ed IN New York on the charge OF having
been implicated with Kissane in the bank
forgery: When Mr.. Burton asked ior pay.
ment Of the notes and the return OF the
sheep skins he was informed that he
couid go 10 the devil with the rest oil the
creditors.
Captain Cummings, who commanded
the Martha Washington, was an intimate
friend of Cole, and Kissane had an inter.
est In the business. Mr.. Burton learned
that they had purchased the Martha
Washington and were annoyed over the
unfavorablo circumstances that prevented
her arrival. The vessel put in an appear.
and at last and steamed out Of Cincinnati
lol New Orleans with a heavy in.
voice on January 6, 1852. It
was soon developed that the steam.
OF and cargo was heavily ill.,
sured. on January IA, 1862, the boat
was burned near Helena, Ark, Sixteen
lives were lost, and the value OF the prop.
erty was placed at Sl25 900. Early In the
same year Atr. Burton saw Adam Chspiu
IN New lark, endeayoriny to secure the
payment OF an INSURANCE policy for So.
00O, and satisfied that the burning of the
steamer was an act Of incendiarism, he no.
tined the insurance companies and they
refused to pay the policy.
The conspiratols then sought 10 win Mr..
Burton over to their side. He says in His
manuscript that they offered him Al CO) in
adaitlon to the Filley 4 Chaplin notes II
ne would assist in securing the payment
OF the insurance money. Then Mr.. Bur.
ION resolved to bring the criminals to
JUSTICE. The insurance companies re-
fused to assist him, but he expended $50
IVY OF his own money and over So, 900 con.
tr1Duted by friends. During his pursuit
OF the gang he Travelled 10000 miles. He
Was constantly bounded, harrassed and
even threatened by kissane and his
TeW pereons are aware that emissaries
o. hissane were instrumental in cauainp
az. bufton's death. In, the summer Of
1850, he visited New York, and, as has
been the case throughout bis travels in
the United States and Canada, his every
movement WAS watched by Kisssnes
agents. Early in the fall he became the
victlm OF mysterious illness and returned
70 ms home here. He fingered a few
months but never recovered, dying on
December II, 1855. The fact was ea-
ttaolished at the time that kissane's friends
has succeeded in smuggling subtle pois-
on into bis tood and bis death resulted de-
spite the etlorts Of the best physicians to
save him. MIR. Burton wrote during bis
travels book giving detailed account OF
tne case, but 1t WAS never put into print,
L was entitled "The Drama Of Crime or
tragedies in Real Life" According to
the preface the book contains among other
things complete confession Of William
hissane. Among Mrs. Howman'u papera
are several interesting letters, one from
Gen. Francis ]. A, Darr. Of San Fran.
ciscn ' ~ N'.- I0N